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Beef Vegetable and Tofu Stir Fry

So tell me – have you gone out and taken a big deep breath? I mean a BIG breath – really filling your nostrils and lungs with the air outside. Can you smell it? It may be distant but it is there – at least for us folk in the Northern Hemisphere. Spring is in the air.

It’s March! Already! Wasn’t I just writing my Retrospective for 2009? Boy I am glad winter is finally in it’s closing chapter. It’s been the coldest winter here in Germany in 50 years! It has snowed perpetually since the middle of December. It has melted again now – there was a lot to go but it is gone and although I know it could come back I am trying to be an optimist.

Time to unravel Spring in all it’s beautiful glory. I am getting impatient though. Can’t wait for the first rhubarb, apricots, asparagus and of course later the strawberries, raspberries and cherries. I sing this song every year! My step is lighter as I literally dance my way to the markets. Oh the flowers and the produce. Ideas upon ideas – wish I could transport the entire market into my back yard so I could experiment at free will with all the produce at my finger tips.

I am so looking forward to my CSA man bringing me a weekly box packed full of lovely organic produce again. It might sound weird - but I go into an “oooh!” and “ahhh!” delightful ecstasy at the sight of all the good stuff in the box. OK as you all are food mad too – it’s not weird but picture the poor CSA man leaving, probably thinking how a few vegetables and fruit can make a gal that excited. But what he does not know - I am seeing tarts, quiche, crumbles and other delectable things I will be preparing in my kitchen.

While I am waiting for all this to happen I tend to rely on a mix of fresh winter vegetables and frozen spring/summer vegetables I put away last year. Then I use them in a quick light way. Not overcooking them, but instead preparing them to provide their fullest aromas. Like this simple but comforting beef and tofu stir-fry with colorful mixed vegetables. Makes the waiting game a little easier.

Mix cornflour, 3 teaspoons soy sauce, ginger and a good drizzling of sesame oil in a bowl. Add the beef strips and marinate for at least a few hours.

Heat about 2 teaspoons of the peanut oil in a wok until just smoking. Add a portion of the beef and stir-fry until brown. Remove with slotted spoon. Heat another 2-3 teaspoons of peanut oil and brown the rest of the beef.

Heat the rest of the peanut oil and stir-fry the tofu, then add the vegetables, spring onions and chili. Continue to stir-fry for approx 2 minutes, until the tofu has heated through and the vegetables are soft but not over-cooked.

Pour the stock and remaining soy sauce, then add the beef back to the wok and cook through for another minute, until the sauce boils and thickens. Season with pepper and serve sprinkled with chopped Thai basil and steamed rice.

Verdict

Yes it makes the waiting easier. It’s not entirely spring but with all the good hopes that it will be coming around the corner. I do not use garlic in this as I want the vegetables and tofu to present themselves in all their perfect flavor. Ginger adds a slight tang and complements the entire dish perfectly.

H2Ope For Haiti update

The deadline for entering the H2Ope for Haiti charity raffle has been extended until midnight GMT on Sunday 7 March. The event is raising money for Concern Worldwide, a well-established charity that was already operating in Haiti at the time of the January 12th quake, meaning they could mobilize faster than most to receive and distribute aid to those in the greatest need, including hundreds of thousands of liters of clean drinking water. So, please take a moment to browse through the prizes and bid. My prize is the sensational Ottolenghi cookbook and 2 color prints of choice from my photo collection. Enter HFH18 while giving your bid and you have the chance to win this great prize!

I'm so happy your winter is ebbing away! :-) The flowers are so cheery and make me smile. :-) The stir-fry is wonderful comfort food and I wish you MUCH joy as you receive your first box of veggies SOON! :-)

OK, so until I read your post I really hadn' t felt at all like spring was on its way. It's still cold and wet and dark here. But your talk of rhubarb and asperagus made me go outside and take a deep breath - and you're right! It kinda sorta almost smells like spring!

Oh my, I love the photos of the flowers. If only my hubby is not allergic to pollen, I will decorate my entire house with fresh flowers!Glad spring has come to your door. I am soo happy autumn is here. The summer has been great, but I am also missing colder weather ;).

Winter seems like it's gone so fast this year, that I'm almost not ready for Spring! I am definitely ready for Spring vegetables, though. Especially asparagus, which is so great with beef in stir fries.

Did you nick those chopsticks from a Chinese restaurant?! Very beautiful dish and i like those little leaves you used as props. A good stirfry is such a comforting homey dish that helps you recover from a crappy day. You make miss my mum's cooking Meeta x

thanks everyone for your comments. Yes it time to sing the praise of spring. i am sure if we all do it it will come around much faster. glad you are liking this dish! loved the soft tofu with the ginger.

Ah, now I'm feeling it! We've had our first bright sunny days (well hours anyway) and I love it! Makes planning summer in Florida that much better. And I am waiting for the berries and the peaches and plums! It seems ages since we've eaten them! Love the bright, colorful, yummy stir fry. That is a great dish while waiting for fruit and veg season!

It's been raining cats and dogs in San Francisco. We've been having weird stormy weather pattern here. I look forward to spring and I hope this year spring will be warmer than last year. We don't have four seasons in SF. Our spring can be foggy and chilly :(

thank you so much for your comments and feedback. in the meantime it has snowed again BOOO! LOL! need to keep thinking spring! glad you like the mix of beef and tofu it adds a lovely different texture paired with the meat. works really well! you must try!

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In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...